Mr Barak, who is still defence minister, has disputed this version. In his interview for the documentary, he claimed the strike on Iran was called off not because of military opposition, but because Israel's armed forces – and Lt Gen Ashkenazi in particular – had failed to prepare.

"A chief of staff must create the operational capacity. He must provide his professional recommendation on whether or not to enact a given order, and we must even take this opinion into account. But we can also proceed in opposition to his recommendation," said Mr Barak.

His comments will inevitably call into question Israel's current military readiness for a conflict with Iran.

The International Atomic Energy Agency in February 2010 voicing concern over the "possible existence in Iran of past or current undisclosed activities related to the development of a nuclear payload for a missile".